


Enraptured

by mayachain



Category: Inception (2010)
Genre: Community: mini_nanowrimo, Developing Relationship, M/M, Pre-Slash, Snippets, Trust
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-02
Updated: 2011-12-02
Packaged: 2017-10-26 19:17:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/286936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mayachain/pseuds/mayachain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Three loosely connected snippets on the theme of trust.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Enraptured

I.  
Eames has made it his business to appear instantly trustworthy to everyone he meets, and he has perfected what started out as a mere skill to an art form. It’s not all in the smile, either – sometimes it’s very much in the knowing when _not_ to smile. Nowadays it even works in relation to the pathologically suspicious buggers that make up the community of dream sharers.

It took Arthur years to trust him within a dream or in the real world. As far as others are concerned that trust still knows limits. That’s why he is one of the very, very few people who are not deluding themselves when they believe that they, in turn, are trusted by Eames.

 

II.  
Arthur looks peaceful when he sleeps. He knows this for a fact because Eames has taken it upon himself to slip incriminating photographs into his pocket whenever they have shared a room. Anyone else, Arthur would long since have wreaked havoc upon. He is not sure why he doesn’t really mind.

Eames is quiet in sleep. When they’re both awake or in the same dream Arthur sometimes despairs of ways to shut him up. When awake in the same room as a sleeping Eames, however, he has to physically restrain himself from poking the man because Eames not even fidgeting the tiniest bit… It seems unnatural.

It’s only when he gets back to the hotel later than anticipated and comes upon an Eames who is tossing and turning in the twin farthest to the wall that it occurs to him that the stillness perhaps _isn’t_ Eames’ natural state. Further observation during the next four jobs they run concludes that Eames is indeed a restless sleeper unless he is with… with Arthur, in fact.

Arthur digs out the latest picture of his own sleeping self and stares at it for a long time. Then he snaps a picture, sneaks into the hotel’s office to print it and puts it into Eames’ wallet.

 

III.  
Eames is used to people watching him all the time. Someone or other is always either assessing the perfection of the personalities he mimics – no, creates – or being captivated by them, mistaking them for the real thing. He is used to the slight cringe when they encounter Eames the person, to this slight widening of the eyes that means _Is he really wearing what I’m seeing?_ and is the standard reaction to his casual persona.

One or all of these things happen with everyone he meets, although any dream sharer worth his or her money isn’t fooled by one of Eames’ forges after the second or third collaboration. He is used to being watched, expects it, counts on it, even. Counts on Cobb’s barely perceptible flinch and Arthur’s harsh judgement of both Eames’ work and his sartorial taste. He is used to the man’s narrowed eyes even when the occasion calls for Eames to dress up and dress well.

He _isn’t_ used to Arthur watching him as if he were a rare specimen, someone to dissect and get to know in every last detail. It’s the look Arthur will give a new forge, but they’re awake, and it has never been directed at Eames _as Eames_ before.

Nothing in his get-up should call for a look like that. He’s dressed down, yes, but the slightly more tasteful shirt is one he actually likes.... Oh.

Bugger.

This is Arthur _seeing him_ , and Eames can’t look away.

 

.


End file.
